The things I grow in summer are things that I don't have to baby. Today our "feel like" temperature was 103 degrees Fahrenheit. I'm not interested in doing manual labor in that sort of heat (Although, I did. I was out in that heat for about an hour and a half yesterday weeding and pulling … Continue reading Low Maintenance, Highly Productive, Summer Vegetables.
It's a new dawn, it's a new day, and I'm feeling good. Original song, Nina Simone 1965. Perhaps my favorite she sang. Good one for today! https://youtu.be/oHRNrgDIJfo?is=kH58rSu2mud4MyQK
On the highest hill of a very small island stood a lighthouse that had never seen the ocean.Everyone thought this was terribly odd.Lighthouses, after all, belong on cliffs. They belong where waves crash and gulls cry and ships look for their light.This lighthouse stood in the middle of a meadow.Its keeper, an elderly woman named … Continue reading The Lighthouse That Didn’t Face the Sea
I moved recently. Said goodbye to the food forest I had for almost twenty years and went somewhere smaller that I didn't have to worry about the upkeep of a 1/4 acre. I now have a beautiful shaded patio, and I do something I never did with my large garden: sit and enjoy it. I … Continue reading Plants For A Bright Shade Patio
Are you living your best probiotic life? If you do a little prep work, probiotics can be an easy delicious addition to every meal. My breakfast of crushed strawberries (I crush them in a bowl with sugar and the top of a glass. This actually crushes the strawberry in chunks and it juices it at … Continue reading Today’s Probiotics
I have had some fun blog achievements in the past couple of months! I wasn't expecting this one. Although I knew I had been viewed in a lot of countries over the years. This was a pretty cool accomplishment. It's my thirteenth year on WordPress. Last year I didn't miss a single day of blogging. … Continue reading My TARDIS Has Arrived
Ginger, two Granny Smith apples and a pear. Tamper link So have you ever really thought about the world of probiotics? Homegrown, like grandma (or great-grandma) whipped up every fall when the cabbages came in? Salt, cabbage and pounding the heck out of the cabbage with a tamper. I make a lot of probiotic ferments. … Continue reading What Can I Put In Sauerkraut?
Soil has been added to my vegetable beds. The bananas have been fertilized. Bird baths have been scrubbed. I added water crystals to the beds this year because the bags of composted manure have a ton of sand in them and water runs right out of the beds, without something to absorb it. Pvc marking … Continue reading Finishing The Vegetable Beds
Here's a spring journey you can experience now. I don't freeze until about Thanksgiving so I still have a little while until I shut down my garden: "Soooo, what have you been up to, you crazy little gardener?" Well. Actually, I've been very, very busy. Busy, busy, busy. Mainly, because I don't know how not … Continue reading Hugelkulter High Density Fruit Tree Bed (Or Heather’s Humor Odyssey)
I'm in San Antonio. I grow Asian persimmons and have done so for about twelve years. The first tree was a dud (that's what the picture above is.) It was an astringent persimmon, a Saijo. It was fantastically sweet, but had the texture of a water balloon filled with snot. Varying degrees of ripeness from … Continue reading Non Astringent, Asian Persimmon In South Texas
Winter is a wonderful time to read up on gardening literature. When your garden is fast asleep, it is the perfect time to make preparations for next year. Whether you are new to gardening or an old hand: this is the yearly time for reflection. What has worked for you? What have you struggled with? … Continue reading Winter: Garden Planning
Both of my grandmother's had cast iron collections. These were things they either purchased in Kansas or are my family's heirlooms. My mom's family on a road trip to Washington DC. My granny on my mom's side married a jerk, (to say it mildly) after my grandpa died. He made her get rid of her … Continue reading How I Restored My Antique Iron: Two Methods
Peach flower. Divisions for different types of fruits. I only have five types of plants, that I have more than one of. I have more than one of these because it was necessary for pollination. I'm growing on a quarter acre of land, which means there's a lot of different single varieties out there. I … Continue reading How To Successfully Run A Food Forest
If you are in a position to look at a device to help you make tomato paste or sauce, seed different fruits and remove skins, do I have some advice for you! I have made paste from tomatoes before. I used to own a Foley food mill and used it regularly. (Like: an original Foley … Continue reading Tomato Paste
I got a call the other day from a neighbor. "I have seven bricks, do you want them?" "Yes! Yes, I do!" I have plans for bricks, and free ones are the best kind! These plans were sparked by regularly spending hours on Pinterest (Can't sleep? It's Pinterest time!) and randomly remembering a few pins … Continue reading Painting Pavers To Look Like Books
Four years ago today I finished this project and wrote this post on how to paint kitchen cabinets. I have to say that they are still one of the best home improvement projects I've done. Not simple. Not easy. But very worthwhile. The finish is just as nice as the day I rehung the cabinet … Continue reading I Painted My Kitchen Cabinets And I Love Them!
This is the most reflective paint I've ever seen! I'm at it again! My mom came to visit me and it's been crazy! We cut down two trees with a chainsaw. It was the above ground growth on an incense bush and a pomegranate, that died back during our horrible freeze. My 20 year old … Continue reading Fine Paints of Europe: Dutch Door Kit
So now that we're past the #!$@:! Frigging pool noodle lollipops, I have some relaxing projects to round out a candy themed Christmas display. First are the super simple candy cane straws. You can make canes with a bunch of PVC elbows but I think those look way more like a PVC pipe creation rather … Continue reading Candy Cane Straws and Ice Cream Sundae Outdoor Decorations
This tutorial shows you how to make the best looking pool noodle lollipops out there. Don't mess with the dollar store noodles. I decided to add some Christmas tutorials for my decorations outside. I'm creating a candy background for some characters from the Nutcracker Ballet. My first task was making some candy. I decided on … Continue reading Big Beefy Pool Noodle Lollipop Decorations
My grandmother used to make cinnamon pickles out of watermelon rind. It was a dessert she proudly put on our plates. They were delicious and in memory of her, I now make them yearly for my extended family and my kids. Last year I also tried a vanilla pickle which was pretty gross. I'm not … Continue reading Just In Time For Christmas: Modern Cinnamon Pickles And Lemon Candy Pickles!
Crazy Green Thumbs 